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Niko is some distance from the cabin. The small man holds a shovel. His puny arms struggle as he lengthens and widens a foxhole.

Mika walks from southern path, he was patrolling, "I didnt see any russians." he sighs and notices what Niko is doing, "Need help?" he asks and moves to get a shovel…

Niko looks up at Mika and grunts. "Knock yourself out." As he digs, he mutters, "The Russians found us. In the forest. I wonder how that happened, seeing as you were missing in action…" The small man stops digging and stares at Mika.

Jaakko having finished cleaning his rifle helps himself to a cup of coffee, then begins the task of sharpening his Puukko.

Matti moves away from the cabin, flexing his arms and legs as he steps into the path shoveled into the snow by the door. As he sees the digging, he walks closer, looking at Mika oddly, "Hey, who are you? I don't think I've seen you before."

MATTI:
This man is of middling height, and not particularly heavily muscled. However, he seems to be relatively fit, what's visible of his slender body under his rather ill-fitting uniform betraying little flab. He has sharp, angular features, high cheekbones, and a broad jaw. His blue-grey eyes are deep-set, his short blonde hair looks fairly tousled, and his chin is covered in irregular stubble. His angular face is, more often than not, graced by a sullen, introspected frown. Whether this is a facet of his personality or merely the characteristic twist of his features, it's hard to say.
He is wearing, over his indoor clothes, a woolen jumper and set of overpants, a thick brown scarf, and a long, fur-lined parka. On his head is a fur hat, his hands are covered by leather gloves placed over woolen mittens, and on his feet are a pair of leather, fur-lined peasant boots with upturned toes for fitting into ski bindings. At his leather belt hangs a kuksa, a wooden cup used by woodsmen, and on the other side a large puukko the size of a bowie knife: A Lappish Leuku, a hunter's tool.

Mika shakes his head, "I told them completely wrong direction. Hey do you think I told them the direction? That is nonsense!" he shakes his head, "Would I return to you if I did such thing?" he sighs. "I am Mika Lametti." he sighs, "After they got drunk with vodka, one of their rifles fell on my ropes on side." he points a big scar on his side, "I legged out of there fast…"

Jaakko noticing that it is already 10 past 9 in the evening he puts away his sharpening tools and carefully packs his gear. Quickly drains the last of his cup of coffee and shrugs into his parka making ready to assume a night patrol.

Niko looks up at Matti and nods a greeting. To Mika, he grunts, "I suppose the Russians must have found us some other way… and perhaps I'm really a Swede." He turns his head aside and spits in the snow. "If there's one thing I love, it's always being on the move, especially in the wintertime. I love getting shelled by artillery that just happens to be zeroed in on our vicinity. And it's very convenient for us moving all the wounded into, of all things, a smaller cabin." He resumes digging.

Matti nods to Niko, absently listening to the conversation between the two. He frowns, looking at Mika. After a long time, he mutters, "Hey, are you the guy who disappeared after attacking Raatevaara with a puukko?" The tone is not admiring. Very far from it, in fact.

Mika nods his head, "I am. I managed to get 2 Russian. But I saw my friends get hit by allitery and then I was captured." he sighs, "There were 3 versus me. And my arms were too badly hurt to do anything… I was forced to surrender…"

Jaakko finally emerges from the cabin in full gear. He snaps on his skis and slings his rifle over his shoulder.

"You surrendered." Matti's voice is flat, and cold. "I've seen men get cut into bits, because they didn't want to get captured. Because they knew that they would be tortured for information, to rat out their friends." He stares at Mika, suspicious and definetely not friendly. With that, he grabs a shovel, and starts helping out in widening the foxhole into a trench, his mouth set in a grim scowl.

Mika shakes his head, "You are not my friends. I dont know anyone here. I am a drifter. But I didnt tell your position to them. I told them completely wrong direction and lied about everything even they tortured me." he says and points his wounds on his body…

"And that explains why our position got shelled and a big Russian patrol attacked us, square on target?" This to Mika, in a highly sarcastic voice. "The russkis couldn't find their own ass in the dark, with both hands. They wouldn't have made it to the cabin, without help." And with that, he stops digging, staring darkly at Mika, his jaws flexing.

"That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?" Niko says, panting as he digs. "You kill two Russians at the cost of having your countrymen get torn up by artillery. Not to mention the danger we had to face moving the wounded. Do the math; all of this wasn't worth two syphilis-ridden Russians." He grunts, "Whose side are you on, anyway? Maybe you should put down that shovel and get a hammer and sickle."

Jaakko skis over just in time to hear that last of Matti's first little speech. He silently looks Mika over as he pleads his innocence. Remains silent listening to the men argue.

Mika sighs, "I am a white. I wouldnt tell anything to reds." he shakes his head, "My whole life is ruined becouse of that russian dogs! The love of my life betrayed me becouse she was a red and I am a white. I hate that russians and I want to tear them apart!" he seems to be in rage now… "Do not ever tell me I am a spy of Reds…"

Matti stares coldly at Mika. The dark glare remains untouched by the other man's outburst. "My family was red. You want to make something of it, you yellow bastard?" He shakes his head, spitting into the snow before he starts digging once more. "You surrendered. And you escaped… Or were released. You were captured by the Russians, and you're still alive. That means that I don't trust you very far, boy."

Jaakko finally speaks, "All you keep yelling like that and they wont need a spy to find us." Looking to Matti, "I'm going to go scout to the SE. I'll make a wide circle and cover my tracks." Then he again looks silently at Mika before pushing off.

"You're a fool," Niko says to Mika. He looks back at the cabin and says, "Maybe you should tell your story and reasons to the wounded." He points back at the cabin. "Perhaps one of them is understanding of your plight. I personally don't give a damn. As far as I know, you betrayed your countrymen." The small man rolls his eyes and resumes digging. "It is said excuses are like noses."

Mika Shakes his head, "I am a White. Whites do not sell their country like reds." he points Matti, "Perhelps it was him who is secretly sharing info with them. He is a red after all!"

"You are also a fucking idiot," Olli says, coming on the scene just long enough to hear the last couple of rounds, "I told you what will happen if you go into town, Hero. But do you listen to me? No." He glances at Matti, grinning, "Looks like you're no longer the big hero. This asshole is."

Mika shakes his head, "You have no idea what they have done to me. I want each one of them pay dearly with it." he says, "You can call me a fool or an idiot. I dont care. But I will kill every russian I find with plesure." he says

Matti stares at Mika, his jaws flexing and his eyes widening. He starts stalking towards Mika, wielding the shovel. He stops a few feet from the other man, hissing, "What the devil did you say, you coward?"

"He's not worth it," Niko tells Matti. But nevertheless, he drops his shovel and rests his hand on his sheathed Puukko. "I consider myself a pacifist," the small man says quietly to Mika, his eyes narrowing, "But even my patience and philosophy have their limits. I don't want your help digging my foxhole because you have no respect for the men who may die in it." He spits, "Get out of my sight. Find the company of those who will appreciate your vapid, stinking presence. There is no use for you here."

"You' don't understand, asshole," Olli says, "Its not about how many Russians you kill. Its not about your numbers. It never is and it never was. Its about accomplishing things. You need to learn this."

Jaakko comes skiing in rather quickly coming to stops with a small shower of snow from his skis. Trying to talk and catch his breath he waves his hand to get Matti's attention, "We ..(gasp) have a company…(pant) to the south."

Having tried to sleep off the pain in his arm, Arto finally wanders out of the cabin - he pauses to lean against the wall by the door, listless, and takes a moment to survey the foxhole-digging effort.

Matti is standing with a shovel in his hand, staring at Mika with murderous intent. He's waiting for the other man to answer, but he looks like he's ready to commit violence. Jaakko just appeared from the South, warning about the enemy.

Having been inside the cabin, Topi now opens the door and makes his way out, with a cane in one hand and his rifle in the other. He doesn't go anywhere without the weapon, it would seem. "Looks like a nice evening, wouldn't you say?" he offers to Arto.

Jaakko having finally caught his breath he reports to those who will listen, "I saw signs of maybe a patrol to our south. There is no mistaking they were Russian."

Arto grunts at Topi, then pointedly looks between Matti and Mika. "A nice evening for beating someone senseless with a shovel, looks like," he mutters.

Mika takes out his blade, "Why dont you go and join your comrades?" he asks, "This place isnt good for the kinds of you." he grins, "You damn reds, If its fight you want, then you shall have it."

Matti spits into the snow, then moves close, swinging the shovel around and preparing to hit the other man with it. He remains absolutely quiet, and ignores Jaakko's words.

"You touch him with that knife, Hero, and I knock you're fucking head off," Olli says, narrowing his eyes at Mika as he hurries closer, putting his fists up. Wounded as he might be, the Village Asshole looks like he's really wanting this fight.

Topi nods a little, keeping his eyes on thqat possible shovel-fight. "Let's hope the womenfolk isn't watching," he says, quietly, before he frowns a bit at Jaakko's words, "*Maybe* a patrol?" he asks.

Niko says to Jaakko, "How far away are they? We just moved the wounded!" At hearing Mika's words, he picks up his shovel and glares, likewise closing in.

Matti shakes his head, ignoring Mika's words. He moes closer, trying to reach the other man with the shovel.

Mika jumps behind, "Stop it damnit. Are you idiots or deaf?" he shakes his head, "Stop it."

Mika says "Russians are coming."

Topi frowns a little. "How far to the south?" he asks, glancing in that direction.

Matti lowers the shovel - Olli was circling in front of him as he beat the other man, so he didn't even manage to get a hit in. He shakes his head, muttering, "Never imagined that you'd jump into my defence, boy. Now what is this bullshit about the Russians? What the hell do you mean, you /maybe/ saw a patrol?" He turns to stare at Jaakko questioningly.

One two, one two! Keep your guard up. Olli just moves in and starts hitting Mika in the chest untill he finally falls down. "So, boys," he says, "We got a big hole in the ground. Lets throw this asshole in and fill it up."

Arto just stands there and watches - either he can't hear what Jaakko said about Russians, or he's just off in la-la land while he watches the fight. His expression is mostly blank, although he does seem, well, morbidly amused.

Jaakko looks Matti in the eye. "I said I found alot of sign to the south, definately Russian. I do not know if it was from a patrol, but there is no doubt they have been very close by…recently."

Niko nods to Olli, "Or at least fill his mouth with dirt to still his ever-talking, moronic tongue." Niko spits on the unconscious Miki. "I suppose we should prepare to move the wounded? It wouldn't hurt to scout to the south again, just to be sure."

Jaakko looks at the prone form of Mika in the foxhole and simply shakes his head.

Matti looks at Jaakko, "Well, you better show me where you found the trail, then." He looks away, at Mika and Olli, "Well, I hope he's learned his lesson. Goddamn nerve, calling me a traitor. Lets go."

Olli grins a little bit at Matti, as he rubs his hands, "Its not so much that I like you," he says, "More like I really wanted to hit that guy."

Matti throws down the shovel, taking his skis and kicking his boots into them. He waits for Niko, standing there with the skistaffs in hand. After a moment, he shouts, "Someone drag the idiot inside, okay! He is a Finn. Don't want the bastard to freeze to death, after all."

Arto eyes Mika's prone form, then sighs, rolls his eyes, and goes to grab the guy by the scruff of his collar and drag him back in to the cabin - it's slow going, as he only uses his good arm.

Topi remains standing where he is. "Happy hunting," he offers to the ones running off.

Niko exits the cabin. His right hand is still bandaged, so he handles his ski poles a little awkwardly. To Matti, he says, "If I had my druthers, I'd carve him up for stew." He shakes his head, "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate. I'm just angry." To Jaakko, "Let's go look for Ivan."

Matti shrugs his shoulders, "I don't care if you do, boy." The man isn't that old himself, but he does tend to call almost everyone boy.

Some time later…

Jaakko squats down along a ridge and speaks in hushed tones, pointing, "Look down there, see those tracks, those are not Finnish boots."

Niko slides to a stop on his skis. He peers south, squinting. "It'll be dark soon. If we're quiet, maybe we can follow these tracks."

Matti stares at the trail. He shakes his head, looking flatly at Jaakko, "That's a goddamn moose trail, boy. The Russians haven't been anywhere near here. There's a road a mile to the south, but that's it."

"Maybe we should be getting back," Niko says quietly, looking to the north. "I can finish working on that foxhole… keeps me busy at least, and it'd provide better cover for our sentries than no cover at all."

Jaakko shakes his head, "Think what you like, doesn't look like any Moose I've ever seen. I think they wont climb this rdige or head through the Marsh maybe, but that is not Moose."

Jaakko stands up and points his ski away from the area, "Just skittish after yesterday I guess. We better take a different route back all the same."

Matti snorts, but says nothing. "Yes, lets." Apparently, he has at least a little sympathy for the other man.

"Lead the way," Niko says. "I'm right behind you."

Jaakko pushes off feeling a bit foolish, but skeptical.

Later that evening…

Jaakko drops down into the trench and leans his rifle to one side with reach and picking up a shovel joins in the work.

Matti moves to the trench, picking up the shovel he so recently threatened Mika with, and helps the others in widening it

Niko stops digging and pants. He points at the cabin, "Maybe we can dig up to the cabin. That way if we have to evacuate the wounded under gunfire, we'll have some cover." He points down at the ground, "Deploy a machine gun inside and one here in the trench, sentry on duty at all times and…" The small man frowns, "Nevermind, we don't have any ammo for the machine guns."

Jaakko pauses a moment to give his back a rest.

Matti stares at Niko in disbelief. He starts laughing, Stopping work for a moment… But for all of that, it sounds more good-natured, then malicious. "This isn't the siege of Madrid, boy. We'll have to make do with what we have." He shakes his head, still chuckling to himself as he starts working once more on the trench. Despite the characteristically sullen, gloomy cast of his face, he still seems amused.

"We can always take the machine gun to pieces and throw them at the Russians, I suppose," Arto mutters, and leans on his shovel as he follows Niko's line of sight to the cabin. "Digging a trench right up to the cabin seems like a good idea, though."

Niko says to Matti, "I don't like the thought of getting shot looking for cover." He resumes digging, "Besides, would you rather be out here getting frostbite, or staying inside with the wounded? Breaks my heart to see those men torn up. I'd rather avoid looking at them if I can."

Jaakko looks over his shoulder at Matti with a slight grin and hourously adds, "I didn't know you could laugh, Matti."

Vesa rubs his cheek with the back of his hand as he drifts awake inside the cabin. He's careful as he moves his shoulders and pulls his hands closed, testing the limits of his movements and accompanying pain. He twists his neck, hearing the faint sounds of voices coming from outside, and starts carefully sitting up.

"I'm not sure about connecting the trench to the cabin, because the russkis can sneak up on it under cover, that way. But I don't care much… If you want to sweat for it, I'm not stopping you." Matti stifles a yawn against the back of his hand. "Our best bet is still to make sure the russkis don't find us. We're close to the road, here, so they should be able to bring a decent force here, if they know where it is." He glances at Jaakko wryly, shrugging his slender shoulders.

"We'll have sentries posted, so someone will be in the trench," Niko explains. "If the Russians know where we are, then no amount of fortification can stop them. We'd have to move out anyway, eh?" The small man attempts a smile, "Plus this physical labor really warms the body up, doesn't it?"

Arto shrugs. "Well, it's not like I've got much else to do than chop wood, hunt, and mope, so I'm still game for building a trench," he says. "Still… What -can- we do to try and stop the Russians from finding us, other than being careful about our tracks and, y'know, -not leading them here-, the obvious stuff like that? Is there anything else?"

Jaakko pauses again and looks to the south as he listens to what Matti has to say, his thoughts going to the tracks they found earlier, still not convinced they were Moose. With a shrug he goes back to work.

Vesa slides off the cot or whatever he was lying on, sitting on the edge for a minute before attempting standing. He starts for the door, though he pauses by the table where Mika's been stashed and stares at the man's body. Shaking his head, he mutters something under his breath before heading for the door. Scarf and hat secured with his right hand, he heads out into the snow to follow the sound of the voices out here.

"Well, as I said… I don't care much either way. Maybe I'm lazier than you fools." Matti smiles sullenly at that, glancing at Arto. He shrugs his slight shoulders, stopping digging for a moment to scratch at his neck, "Not much, I guess. If we kill them all, they won't find us." He chuckles grimly at that. It's a rather poor joke - irony, rather than bragging. Everyone knows that the horders of Mother Russia are endless.

Niko snorts and says to Arto, "Keep idiots like Mika Lametti from getting captured. We should put that moron on a leash and muzzle him." He stabs his shovel into the ground, "I came close to unsheathing my puukko. I've never even struck another man in anger in my life. The thought never even entered my mind before today."

Vesa moves a bit awkwardly in the snow. His left arm is pulled out of the sleeves of his layers, bound against his body and leaving the sleeve just tied in a knot. Hearing Niko's comment about Mika, he moves a bit closer that way. "What happened to him?" He asks Niko, glancing back towards the cabin.

As the subject of Mika comes up, Arto just puffs out his cheeks and whistles. "Fortunately, I don't think there's anyone stupider than he is here - in fact, I'm not sure if that'd be physically possible. There's got to be a mimimum number of braincells required before your skull implodes from the lack of contents inside it." He grunts as he hears Vesa. "He called Matti a traitor, got beat up."

Luukas comes in from a patrol, his round of sentry duty. His rifle drawn over his shoulder, the Ostrobothnian slides in on the skiis.

Niko says, "Lametti's more of a traitor than anyone. I still think he told the Russians where we were, and I think his stupidity has the potential to get more Finns killed than artillery and rifles combined." Niko digs, saying, "What I wouldn't give for some salmiakki."

Vesa blinks at Arto. "God. Wish he'd just stayed with the Russians," he comments sourly under his breath. It mirrors Erkki's sentiment, and he looks over at Erkki before back at the men in the trench. "I can't really dig," he says, not happy about that. "But is there anything else I can do?"

Matti hrhmps. "I'm just sorry Olli knocked him out before I could hit him with a shovel. Damn idiot. This is our land, too. Half the people in this area voted Communist, and they're fighting the russkis just like everyone else." He glances at Erkki, shaking his head, "Cousin can be like that, can't they?" There's no real malice in his words. Just an odd sideways glance.

Jaakko quietly listens as he keeps working on the trench making no outward sign of caring.

"Don't worry, he's a cousin on my mother's side so he's not even related to you," Erkki says, noticing the sideways glance and taking it for worry from Matti's side. He grabs a shovel and joins in with the digging without any grousing. "You are my cousin - you're a crazy son of a bitch but you ARE my cousin," he notes. "I only admit that becuase I know you hate being my cousin."

Luukas silently looks over to where others are digging, keeping his face expressionless as words drift with the wind past his ears. No comment is uttered from the man in the Sissi reserves, only pausing to step out of his skiis and set them and the poles into the snow near the cabin's door.

Jaakko looks up at Vesa, "Do you know how to cook? We could use a good stew even if it is almost mid-night."

"Thank God for small mercies, huh? I wonder what happened to your old man. His farm must have been run under, too." This to Erkki. Matti looks up as Luukas skis to the cabin, shouting out, "You see anything out there, Ostrobothnian?"

"I can make a stew." Vesa nods quickly to Jaakko, squinting a little as the wind blows by his face. How good said stew will be, who knows. "Is there any meat in there?"

Jaakko stops working as Matti mentions something about a farm being run under, he gets a faraway look thinking about his families farm back in Suomussalmi. Lost in thought he doesn't hear Vesa ask about meat.

The icy, hardpacked snow makes Erkki start sweating from the work of digging. He wipes his brow and looks at Matti with a scowl. "They're all safe, Arto got them away in time." He isn't sure Matti is trying to mock him and his family about something, eyeing him suspiciously.

Vesa doesn't wait to get more of an answer. Whatever food's around to be made into stew, he'll find. He turns to trudge back to the cabin, going slowly to keep from jarring his arms too much. Once inside he heads for the food stores to see what can be thrown into a pot.

"Good for the dirty old bastard." Matti, to Erkki. A heartfelt sentiment, truly. He yawns, muttering, "I'm getting tired of this. You'd think this was Russian dirt, for all the hate and violence you're directing at it."

Luukas looks down to check some supplies for a moment, then lifting up again calls over to Matti. "No bears spotted. But I'm not real familiar with this area. Didn't want to be seen trying to cross the lake." and nods once back. He steps over to motion where some of the guns are set against the wall inside the cabin. "I brought as much gear and captured weapons as I could from Toravaara. Hope it's some use." In a lower voice he speaks, "One of the Russians had a puukko. Must've got it from a Finn."

Jaakko is drawn back out of his trance as Luukas voice breaks the silence.

Niko stops digging and looks up at Luukas. "Is that so?" He wipes sweat from his brow before he gives it a chance to freeze. "For some reason, that doesn't really surprise me. Maybe Finn-Russian relations are improving these days." The small man shakes his head and resumes digging, "I can't prove anything, though."

"I remember, Luukas, I was there when we found it, remember?" This from Matti.

Jaakko clambers up out of the trench leaving his shovel behind.

Matti puts down his shovel, apparently getting bored, and walks back into the cabin.

Jaakko walks over to Luukas with a nod, "Any plans to take out that rat tail from yesterday?"

Luukas shakes his head silently to Jaakko's question. "Afraid not. We're halfway across the district from Raatevaara, where we saw them." The young man with the now uneven cut of reddish-brown hair looks over to the cabin after Matti's entered it, then back to Jaakko's approach. "The artillery shelling the camp was more from Puras' direction. Either they moved that rat's tail or brought in a new battery."

Jaakko nods in obvious thought. "There is road not too far to the south of here. That would be the only way for them to move equipment through the area. Maybe we can setup an ambush and hit them while in transit?"

Niko says from the trench, "If they're moving their vehicles, at least they're stuck to the roads. Probably moving them along the east-west roads because they're mainly firing to the north."

Jaakko nods at Niko's comments.

Luukas grunts a response first to Niko, "There are no north-south roads. We're in the middle here, between two roads from the Russian border inland. The Raate road, to the south, that came through Raatevaara and goes to Suomussalmi.." He stops there for a breath, "And the road north through Juntusranta. Russians hold both." There's a grim shake of his head in dismay. "So we hold the wilderness in between. And I've not seen a single one of their tanks or trucks leave the road yet. So if we had explosives, yeah, we could give them a nice surprise."

Niko tells Jaakko, "I think we're too close to the road to attack. If our ambush fails, they're going look this way for us. We've got at least five people wounded and incapable of fighting." He shakes his head, "I would rather travel a long distance to fight them. At least then they wouldn't know which direction we're coming from." He pauses, "Do we even have explosives? We barely have enough ammunition to feed our machine guns."

Jaakko nods looking forlorn, "Well there has to be something we can do to harass them more…."

Luukas adds quietly, "If I have my bearings right, the road someone said was south of us is the side road off the Raate road that goes to Puras." as Niko adds his comment. "We have no explosives 'cept a couple grenades."

Luukas looks at the trench that's done. "Shouldn't we make a trench north, to extend it to?" There's a soft snort from his nostrils, creating a puff of mist before his face. "I'll leave digging bunkers to Field Marshall Mannerheim. What we'd need would be a tunnel to slip out through."

Samppa comes on skiing in through the forests, quiet except for the faint swish of motion.

Vesa is inside still tending to that requested stew. Who the hell knows what went in that pot, but at least it's set on to simmer now.

Niko sets his shovel down and rests. "I thought about digging it up to the cabin in case we had to evacuate, we'd have some cover. And lets us come and go under cover." He shrugs, "At least it gives our sentries cover and a little protection from the wind. I hope the snow doesn't fill it."

Jaakko clamps a hand firmly on Luukas shoulder, "Come inside, I have Vesa making a stew. We can talk there."

Jaakko trudges on up to the cabin yanking off his gloves as he opens the door. "Got that stew finished?" he asks as he peels off his parka.

Jaakko moves to stand near the stove to warm himself and to sniff at the stew, bending over the pot he exclaims, "Hey, that don't smell half bad."

Luukas slowly nods his head to the response Niko gives. "Good idea. But if we're here long enough, need to dig a narrow passage to the woods to the north or somewhere." The Ostrobothnian seemed to emphasis the concept of 'if we're here long enough', perhaps weighted with recent experiences. Jaakko's hand clamped on his shoulder does release some of his tension, and actually brings a light sparkle to blue eyes, even a smile formed. "Coffee too? Cold winter, this one. Brrrrr." adding the final sound in a light air, as if with humour. Over his shoulder he seems to notice movement in the snow as he enters the cabin with Jaakko. "Someone coming?" muttered to the young man.

Vesa is poking the bubbling contents of the pot with the ladle. He shrugs at Jaakko. "I didn't put anyone's socks in there or nothing, so it should be okay." He leaves the ladle alone and backs up to resecure his left arm, letting Jaakko and the others get to the food.

Samppa sees the fresh trench outside the cabin, and skis up to it, rather cautiously. "Hey there, men." he calls out in Finnish when he gets near enough.

SAMPPA:
A Finn, wrapped up snug in furs and with a stolen Russian rifle over one shoulder.

Jaakko turns towards the door as he hears a strange voice, "anyone recognize that voice?"

Jaakko shrugs his parka back on and grabs up his rifle and quickly heads to open the cabin door and step outside just as Niko questions the man.

Luukas tilts his head. "Sounds like someone from 'round Oulu, on the coast. The sergeant?" asked thoughtfully as he moves to a window, not yet getting a portion of coffee or stew, and peers out to check for signs of the small blue roundel on the approaching man's cap.

Samppa comes to a halt, and steps out of his skis. "Samppa.". He takes his furry hat off and holds it up, showing the roundel on it to Niko. "You look like a busy man." he says, eying the trench., and the pile of bullets.

Vesa looks over towards the door hearing Jaakko, taking a step to the side and trying to see past the doorframe. A glance back at Luukas and he shakes his head. "I don't know. Bet he knows the woods though…if he could find this place."

Niko relaxes and re-slings his rifle on his shoulder. To Samppa, he says with a smirk, "If I'm to die here, at least no one could accuse me of not being productive. A prepared defense is better than no defense, eh?"

Jaakko cautiously moves to one side of the new man, keeping his gun ready, but not so as to threaten the man. "Samppa? Never heard of a Samppa." calling back over his shoulder he yells, "Lukkas, you know a Samppa?"

Luukas steps around to the doorway, reaching to open the entrance to the cabin, "Sergeant Samppa. At least one logger here still remembers you." There's a motion that's sort of a lazy hint of a salute, not formal at all, given lazily. "Come in. There's stew and I hope someone's made some coffee. We've had to move again."

Samppa nods. "We heard the sounds of fighting from Toravaara, figured it must be you. Colonel Siilasvuo has sent me out to find you.". He pats the cabin with a gloved hand, and grins. "As I know where all the hiding places are.". The furry hat goes back on his head. "Weather is getting a bit mild. The neighbour is probably thinking he's getting comfortable here.". Into the cabin he steps.

Jaakko visibly relaxes once he sees that Luukas knows the man and quietly follows him inside.

Niko resumes watching the treeline to the south from his trench. "It'll be dark soon," he calls to the cabin. "When it is, I'm going inside and someone else can take watch."

Jaakko gives a Niko a huge grin and a wave as he shuts the door tight.